RIYADH — The Arab Coalition forces on Tuesday intercepted and destroyed an armed drone launched by the Iran-backed Houthi militia targeting civilian areas in the southern region of Saudi Arabia. In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, the official spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, Brig. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki said: “The coalition forces have intercepted and destroyed this evening (Tuesday) a bomb-laden UAV launched systematically and deliberately by the terrorist Houthi militia to target civilians and civilian objects in the southern region." "These acts of aggression to deliberately and systematically target civilians and civilian objects by the terrorist, Iran-backed Houthi militia amount to war crimes," the spokesman added. "The coalition forces will continue to implement all necessary operational procedures to dismantle, destroy and neutralize the advanced conventional weapons’ capabilities of the terrorist, Iran-backed Houthi militia, and safeguard civilians and civilian facilities in accordance with international humanitarian law.," Brig. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki warned. The Houthi militia has recently stepped up attacks, targeting civilians and civilian facilities in a number of Saudi cities and regions.